VULNERABILITY & AUTHENTICITY:
– “I’ve been creating a negative story in my head about you, and I think it’s been getting in the way of our connection. Can I share with you what’s been happening inside me?”
– “I need for us to slow down our physical intimacy until I feel more connected with you in other ways.”
– “I feel so seen by you. I can’t imagine a more beautiful feeling in the world, than being here with you now.”
– “I’m feeling a lot of appreciation for you. I love your mannerisms and the way you do things. Some of my favourite things are…”
– “I expected something from you that I didn’t tell you about, and then I held it against you. You didn’t deserve that.”
– “I overstepped my own boundaries with you, and I felt resentful about it without talking about it. I’m sorry for the distance this has created between us.”
– “I’m afraid of what it means for us to connect the way we have been connecting. Instead of talking to you about my concerns, I pulled away from you. I don’t want to do that anymore – I want to try something new with you.”
– “I have had past experiences where it didn’t feel safe for me to share what I need and desire. Could you help me to keep remembering that it IS safe with you?
– “I’ve been saying yes to us spending more time together, even though I’m not fully available for that. I wasn’t sure that I could say no without you leaving. Could we slow things down, and still keep what we have? I cherish what we have.”
– “I want to spend more time with you, but I’ve been afraid of what would happen if I let you see how much I desire to be with you.”
– Words by Serdar Hararovich
Here’s the thing…
Vulnerability is by definition challenging. There is no shame in struggling to communicate in these ways, which most of us do.
With reverence for the power of true intimacy, we can choose to learn how to cultivate this art. Cultivating the art of communicating authentically, vulnerably and openly is the practice of a lifetime – one that opens up the gateway to deep, soulful intimacy.
Artwork: Unknown

